Pill dispenser



- Jan. 3, 1956 v o. A. CHADWICK PILL DISPENSER Filed Oct. 25, 1952INVENTOR. ORLANDO A. CHADWICK Fig.

ATTORNEY United States Patentf) PILL DISPENSER Orlando A.ChadwiclnDenver, Colo.

Application October 25, 1952, Serial No. 316,919

6 Claims. or. 222-662) This invention relates to the dispensing of drygranular and pellet form materials from conventional bottles, vials,cartridges, and the like, housing a loose bulk charge of the material,and has as an object to provide novel and improved means susceptible ofassociation with such containers and optionally manipulable to release apredetermined fraction of the container charge.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved meanssusceptible of association with conventional containers for dry granularand pellet form materials to release a predetermined fraction of thecontainer charge in reaction to single-hand, optional manipulationthereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improveddispensing means adapted for incorporation in or removable andreplaceable association with conventional containers of dry granular andpellet form materials to condition the containers for optional releaseof predetermined charge fractions in reaction to convenient, single-handmanipulation of the container and its associated means.

. A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improvedmeans for optionally dispensing predetermined charge fractions of drygranular or pellet form materials from conventional containers thereofthat is practical and convenient of adaptation to and as a permanent endclosure of such containers at the time of their manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved meansfor optionally dispensing predetermined charge fractions of dry granularor pellet form materials from conventional containers thereof that ispractical and convenient of development in and as a remov-' able andreplaceable end closure .cap for the container.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists-inthe construction, arrangement, and combination of elements ashereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure" 1 is a section taken axiallythrough a typical embodiment of the invention as incorporated in andwith a container, a portion of the latter being broken away to conservespace.

Figure 2 is a section similar to Figure 1 taken substantially on theindicated line 2-2 of the latter view.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken substantially on the indicated line3-3 of Figure 2.

ice

Figure 8 is a cross section taken substantially on the indicated line8-8 of Figure 7.

Many products in granular and pill form designed for regularly recurrentuse in uniform amounts are so packaged as to complicate ready access tothe desired quantity at need, the usual screw-cap container of a supplyin bulk being awkward and difiicult of manipulation when but a smallproportion of its charge is to be extracted and is especiallyill-adapted for manipulation by one hand, hence the instant invention isdirected to the provision of means susceptible of convenient andpractical incorporation in and association with conventional containersand readily manipulable for the dispensing of a predetermined uniformfraction of the container charge when the charge is of granule or pelletform.

In the embodiment of the invention typified by Figures l-6, inclusive,the improvement is represented as incorporatcd in and permanentlyassociated with the normally closed end 10 of an otherwise conventionaltubular container 11, such as a vial or bottle, adapted to contain thedispensable material and expediently formed with an open other end, notshown, cooperable with any desired form or style of closure. Thenormally closed end 10 of the container is intersected by an aperture,or apertures, sized to accommodate and to measure the quantity, orfraction, of the container charge desired to be dispensed at one time,the illustrated arrangement show ing two like apertures 12 centered andspaced apart on a diameter of the said end 10 and opening entirelythrough the latter for the simultaneous accommodation of two like unitsof the container charge, such, for example, as two pills or pellets.

Abutting, coextensively overlying, and coaxially revoluble relative tothe exterior surface of the container end 10, a transfer plate 13 isformed as the closed end of a tubular cup 14 and is provided with anaperture, or apertures, 15 sized and positioned for registration withthe apertures 12 of the container end 10 in one position of plate 13rotation relative. to and about the axis of the said end 10, the saidplate 13 having a thickness the same as that of the container end 10 toprovide identical capacities for the apertures 12 and 15.

Closing against and overlying the face of the plate 13 within the cup14, a dispensing disk 16 is immobilized in fixed relation with thecontainer and its end 10 and serves to revolubly retain and to determinethe extent of angular travel of the plate 13 between itself and the saidFigure 4 is a cross section taken substantially on the indicated line4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken substantially on the indicated line5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an isometric exploded view of the elements comprised in theorganization according to the preceding views.

Figure 7 is a section similar to Figure 1 taken through a modificationof the invention adapted for removal and replacement relative to aconventional container.

container end, and said disk is formed with an aperture, or apertures,17 sized and disposed to register with the apertures 15 of the plate 13when said plate is rotated to shift its apertures 15 out of registrationwith the container end apertures 12 and to close the latter;registration of the plate apertures 15 and disk apertures 17 preferablybeing accomplished upon a ninety degree displacement of said plate fromthe position of aperture 15 registration with the container endapertures 12. Efiectively interrelating the container end 10, plate 13,and disk 16 to cooperate in the manner and for the purposes above setforth, stiff spring fingers 18 are fixed to and at the opposite ends ofa diameter of the disk 16 to outstand perpendicular to the plane of saiddisk in a length adequate to extend entirely through the plate 13 andcontainer end 10; the free ends of said fingers 18 being formed asoutwardly-directed hooks 19 engageable with and to look intodiametrically-opposed recesses interrupting the inner wall of thecontainer 11 adjacent the inner face of the end 10. Accommodative ofspring finger 18 passage therethrough, the container end 16 is providedwith intersecting holes 20 disposed to angularly relate the disk 16 tothe container end with the respective apertures preferably ninetydegrees out of registration and the. plate 13. is. formed. withoppositely-disposed. arcuate slots 21, slightly more than ninety degreesof are in extent, opening therethrough in alignment with and along theinner cylindrical wall of the cup 1.4, so that, withthe elementsassembled as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2, the: plate 13. isheld between the: fixedly related container end 10 and. disk. 16. forrotation relative there.- to through an are such as will serve. toalternatelyregister the plate 13 apertures 15- with'. the apertures 12of the container end 10 and with the apertures 17 of the disk 15.

With the container 11 heldapproximately'upright above.

from the apertures 15; through said disk andinto the palm of themanipulator; the dispensing position of the transfer plate precludingescape from. the container of any of its charge other than that firstmeasured through the apertures 12.

he modification according to Figures 7 and 8 is essentially identicalwith the organization hereinabove described and differs only in that thecontainer 11 and its closed end 10 is replaced by an internally-threadedclosure member ZZadapted for coaction in the usual manner with thethreaded, open end of.a.container 23 inreplacement for the. closuremember originally furnished with the container. The; end web 10' of the.closure member 22 is thickened, apertured, and worked induplication ofthe container end it) and cooperates with and carries the elements 13,14, 16, 18 and 19 in the. functional and structural associationhereinbefore set forth; substitution of the closure member 22 for theusual container closure effectively mounting the improved dispenser foruse as a removable and replaceable element of the. assembly.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the pensedeccentrically' intersecting said end closure, a disk fixedly carried bythe container in registration with and to spacedly parallel said endclosure exteriorly' of thecontainer, apertures intersecting said diskout of registration with the end closure apertures, a transfer plateall) revolubly engaged et een .said disk an n lo and apertures throughsaid plate alternatively registrable with the apertures of said disk andend closure as an incident of plate angular adjustment.

2. A dispenser for dry granular and pellet form materials comprising thecombination with a container for the material of a container end closurefully and transversely obstructing the container, aperturesaccommodative of a measured quantity of the material to be dispensedeccentrically intersecting said end closure, a disk registered with andspacedly paralleling said end closure exteriorly of the container, meansmarginally of the disk and engaged with, the container fixedlyinterrelating said disk and end closure, apertures intersecting saiddisk out of registration with the end closure apertures, a transferplate revolubly engaged on said means between said disk and end closure,and apertures through said plate alternatively registraole with theapertures of said disk and end closure as an incident of plate angularadjustment.

3. The organization according to claim 2, wherein the means fixedlyinterrelating the disk and end closure are constituted as stitf springfingers outstanding from and perpendicular to the disk throughaccommodating holes in the end closure and hooks terminating saidfingers for coactionwith interior elements of the container.

4. The organization according to claim 2, wherein stifi spring fingersoutstand from and perpendicular to the disk through: accommodating holesin the end closure, hooks terminating said fingers coact with interiorelernents of the container, and the transfer plate is operativelymounted between the disk and end closure through the agency of arcuateslotsintersecting said plate and siidably embracing said fingers;

5. Theorganization according to claim 2, wherein the transfer plate isformed as the base of a cup-like member whereof the wall encircles thedisk in open-end extension away: from the container end closure.

6. In a dispenser of the character described, a container, a containerend closure fully and transversely obstructing; the container,dispensing apertures accommodative of a measured quantity of the.material to be dispensed eccentricallyx intersecting said end closure, atransfer plate. angularly adjustable in exterior overlying relation withsaid. end closure, apertures through said plate registrable with the endclosure apertures in one position of plate angular adjustment, a diskfixedly engaged with; the container in exterior overlying relation withsaidv transfer plate, and apertures through said disk out. ofregistration. with the; end closure apertures positionedforregistrationwitlrthe.transfer plate apertures as an incident of: plateangular. adjustment.

Harriss et a1. Dec. 26, 1944 Poskey Mar. 6, 1951

